In most ski schools the guest race is held each week at the end of the ski course. Usually the participants in a given course group compete against each other. The creation of the start list, the entry of the running time and subsequently the preparation of the results list and the printing of certificates is supported by WS Ski Schule in Guest races.

Create start list

There are two ways of creating the start list. Since the grouping of the participants arises from the ski course groups and the participants in the groups are usually allocated via the report, the start list can be carried over from the report. This is a simple, quick method. If other guests or other persons in general participate in the race, these can be entered manually.

Apply participants from report

The participants are carried over from the daily report for the selected working date into the race list under Data – Apply course attendance to Race List or by using the icon. A window appears with the currently selected working date as confirmation and data control. The group types to be transferred are then marked with a tick.

However, for tickets without names there is the option to transfer them or omit them or not to transfer them to the start list. The customer data for tickets without names can be extended at any time.

Enter participants manually

Using Data – Add or clicking on the icon opens the race participant window to add a race participant. By using the Rem key the ski instructor can be removed or selected for allocation to a group in the drop down menu. Once the participant's data (race number, position and time remains for the moment at 0:00.00) have been entered, they are confirmed with OK.

Edit start list

Once the start list has been created it can be further edited.

The list is sorted either by allocated ski instructor or group The following points can be configured under Extras – Settings.

The categorisation of the race list - by ski instructor, group or both and by separating the sexes (within a group).
Identifying instructors: If the full name of the ski instructor or his nickname is displayed (if the nickname is not in the Ski instructor personnel file, the full name is displayed.)
The Group name allocation from the report acceptance (group name according to group type or product group 1). In addition, the branch can be accepted from the report.

By using Edit – Sort or the icon, groups/ski instructors can be sorted by using the arrow to move the marked line up or down. This process is also possible by drag and drop. The icon Sort alphabetically can be used to sort automatically in alphabetical order. The start sequence created is then confirmed with OK and accepted in this way.

If only individual lines within a group need to be moved, this can be done with the symbol.

If the group is altered by one or more participations, this can be entered with the Edit – group – Enter group function. To do this all the participants in the same group should be marked before Enter group is selected.

When one or more participants are to be allocated to another ski instructor, this is possible under Edit – Allocate ski instructor. Attention must be paid to the marking.

In order to see the gender in the start list, this must either be saved in Customer base or subsequently extended in the start list. To select one or more participants of the same sex, select the Set Gender function and then select male or female.

When several branches are in operation, the start list can be restricted to one branch. This means that only participants, who are allocated to the selected branch, are shown. Selection is made in the drop down menu. Edit – Branch - Assign branch allows you to select the appropriate branch from all the branches and to allocate the marked participants to this branch. Even the branches, which have been saved in the Approximate Allocation or with Ski Instructor, can be allocated here to the participants. This allocates the branch to the whole group.

If specified groups or participants are to be listed in a separate start list, these must be selected and placed on a memory space . Memory space symbols, on which participants have already been placed, have a yellow background. The participants listed separately can be added again at any time to the existing list by clicking on the memory space symbol.

Once all the data have been entered and sorted, the participants are allocated start numbers and start times.

Issue start number and start time

Under Edit – Assignment of Race number or by using the arrow on the icon there are the following possibilities for allocating start numbers:

Area: All the selected participants are given a start number. The first consecutive available number can be allocated.
Automatic: All the participants listed receive a start number. These are allocated consecutively from start number 1.
Manual: A window opens, in which the start numbers required for the selected participants are entered manually. Clicking on OK automatically forwards the number to the subsequent participant. In this way a start number can be individually allocated for each participant without any need to bear a chronological series in mind.
Group: The start numbers are allocated for the group of selected participants. Starting from a randomly-entered start number each group member in turn is allocated a consecutive number.

To record the start time for the groups, a participant in a group is highlighted and the start time is entered for the selected group under Edit – Start time. By confirming with OK this is saved for all the participants in the group and the next group appears automatically. In this way the start time for all the groups can be entered.

Print start list

Once the participants, groups and start numbers have been specified, the start list can be printed using Print – Print start list. For this purpose there is a choice of start lists presenting different information and in various layouts.

Start List – Simple – A4 prints a simple start list with all the groups on one page with the ski instructor, names of the groups, the start time and the participants with their start numbers. To display each group on a separate page Start List – Simple – A4 – Pagebreak is selected.

Under Start List – Advance – A4 a detailed start list with additional information, such as ski instructor's name, start time, name, address, date of birth, start number, nationality, age and gender of the participant is printed. Using Page change it is possible to produce a list with each group on an individual page.

Start list detail A5

The A5 group list provides the same information as the A4 group list, but in smaller format.

Enter time and rank

To enter the race times after the race there are the following possibilities, depending on layout and organisation structure:

Enter time manually

Times can be entered manually by using Edit – Enter time Ctrl +Z or . Entering the times and clicking on OK makes the cursor jump automatically to the next participant, in order to enter this person's race times in the same way.

To change a time already entered, double click on the required participant to open the line and correct the time or any other value and save with OK.

Import time-keeping

If time-keeping is managed by Alge, Tag Heuer or Microgate it is possible to accept the rankings automatically into the program.

The race time for each racer is measured as normal by time-keeping. Each race time is saved with the start number. At the end of the race the time-keeping is connected to the computer through the serial port and transfer is started using Data – Import – Selection of time-keeping device.

The Read COM button activates installation of the data. Once all the times have been transferred, the race times can be installed in the race list using the Accept button.

Position calculation

Once the race times have been entered, the position of the individual participants is calculated: The placings in each group are calculated under Edit – Calculate position or by using the associated icon . The race time for the first or second run or the total time can be selected as the basis for calculating the position. Clicking on OK identifies participants with no race time or race time in a new query as disqualified.

Print result lists

The results lists can be printed by using Print – List showing the results. This is where the choice can be made between first race time or the total time and where also a page break between the groups can be made. Ski instructor, participant, start number, placing/position, race time, time difference and where applicable, comments can be shown on the results or list of results.

Print certificates

Finally certificates for the guest race can also be created and printed out for the guest race participants via the ski school program. Help in this is offered by Mail Merge in Office Word (Print – Certificate – Certificate Word) or an individually pre-programmed report (Print – Certificate – Certificate). So that the data are printed in the correct position, the certificate should be created by a Waldhart Software employee.

Create certificate by Mail Merge

Once Certificate Word has been selected the Word template for Mail Merge must be opened on the PC. In this way the data fields in Mail Merge are filled with the information for the ski school program.

If an error occurs in this process the path to the mailmerge.csv file must be checked. If the correct path has not been saved, an error window appears in Word with the information that the data source cannot be found.

By clicking on the Search Data Source button the path to the mailmerge.csv file can be specified again. The file is in the export subfolder in the ws_ski folder. Once the file has been selected, the Western European format must be selected. Then the existing data fields are filled out.

To ensure that instead of the field names the participants' data is displayed, Messages – Results preview must be activated.